Sniggers erupted all around, like a curse penetrating her ears, pricking her nerves.
Xiang Wan clenched her fists tight, the very thing she had always feared facing had been so easily exposed in front of everyone, without doubt rubbing salt into her wounds.
She tried to hold back her emotions as she explained, "It's not that I wanted to stand, it's just my desk..."
Before she could finish, the English teacher hurled a book straight at her face: "No excuse can justify you wasting everyone's time in my classroom, get out!"
The hard corner of the book struck Xiang Wan, causing her head to bleed, the warm blood trickling down her forehead, seeping into her mouth with a metallic taste.
She didn't attempt to explain any further. Never having been treated this way before, her tears were on the verge of breaking free, but she did not want to cry weakly under the gaze of so many eyes...
As soon as her feet stepped out of the classroom, the door was slammed shut behind her.
The loud noise shattered the last of her strength, and tears quickly filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. In panic, she raised her hand to wipe them away, frightened of being seen.
After ensuring the hallway was empty, she leaned against the wall and squat down, hugging her knees, feeling miserable.
She clearly understood that the so-called malice from others was not because she had offended anyone.
Before her father passed away, wherever she went, she was the highest, most shining star. But after all, those who liked to gaze at the starry sky were in the minority; more people preferred to see a star fall.
The firm protective umbrella that had always been held above her head was gone. It seemed her father had shielded her too well, making her now too frail to withstand a single blow. She hated the way her tears betrayed her, knowing well that crying wouldn't solve anything...
Her grievances were fully witnessed by the man who appeared around the corner of the hallway.
The footsteps of the group came to a halt as Zuo Xingyun stopped in his tracks.
The principal, who had previously been enthusiastically introducing Xavier's historical background and future plans to Zuo Xingyun, the 'God of Wealth,' now looked slightly displeased upon seeing Xiang Wan in the hallway: 'Mr. Zuo, there is nothing interesting over there, shall we go somewhere else to look?'
Zuo Xingyun had no intention of leaving, his gaze fixed on the curled-up figure occasionally sobbing, coldness gradually welling up in his eyes: "Is this the ethos of your esteemed institution?"
The principal's face changed rapidly: "Not at all, Mr. Zuo! Our school does not condone malicious punishment of students. This must be an accident!"
"Oh, really? As for the matter of the payment, we'll talk about it later. I need to think it over and perhaps 'explore' your institution a bit more deeply," said Zuo Xingyun, turning away indifferently.
The principal, sweating profusely with urgency, realizing he could not keep the God of Wealth, respectfully saw him off.
Once Zuo Xingyun's car had driven off into the distance, the principal exploded in fury: "If we lose this God of Wealth, I'm holding you all responsible!"
The adjacent vice principal was quick to nod and bow: "Yes, yes! I'll get right on sorting things out below, and I'll go see what exactly happened! But... I've never heard of this Mr. Zuo before, where did such an influential figure pop up from?"
The principal gave the vice principal a disdainful glance: "There's plenty you haven't heard of. It's always the new waves that push the old ones forward. There are plenty of young, influential people stirring things up. I did hear about him, though it was several years back. He was the talk of the town, then suddenly he vanished without a trace. It seems he's been quietly amassing a fortune these years... Now he's set on investigating us. It's said he's no easy man to deal with. If we don't address this issue sincerely, the God of Wealth is as good as gone! You better handle this!"